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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. swing — to play on
  4. pop — music
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bass — the fish
  10. swing — music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. tube — a container
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com